It was one of the defining events of the civil rights movement, the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. But 45 years ago today it got off to a violent start on what became known as Bloody Sunday. Some who were there then returned to Selma today.

This time they crossed the bridge not to protest, but to remember.

Mr. JOHN LEWIS: It doesn't feel like it's been 45 years. It feels like it was just a few short years ago.

HOLT: Today, just as he did then, veteran Congressman John Lewis helped lead the march.

Mr. LEWIS: (From file footage) We intend to march to Montgomery to present our grievances to Governor George C. Wallace.

HOLT: On this day in 1965, hundreds of marchers set out for the state's capital, but were stopped almost before they began --

Unidentified Man: (From file footage) You are ordered to disperse.

HOLT: -- on orders from Alabama Governor George Wallace. Troopers and deputies fired tear gas and beat the marchers back with batons and electric cattle prods. More than 80 were injured. The march was organized by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr.: (From file footage) It would be a great thing to walk to Montgomery for freedom all the way from Selma, Alabama.

HOLT: The marchers were forced to retreat, but the violence had outraged the nation and the president. The National Guard and US Army were ordered in. And on March 25th, 1965, the marchers finally reached Montgomery.

Dr. KING Jr.: (From file footage) His truth is marching on!

HOLT: Five months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, outlawing discrimination at the polls. There to bear witness, Dr. King and John Lewis. The signing took place in the very same room where, 44 years later, President Obama took his first act as president. Today in a statement, the president said, “Let us honor the memory of all those who were shoved and beaten within an inch of their lives because they believed in the simple truth that every American, regardless of race, had the right to cast a vote, had the right to live free, had the right to reach for their dreams.” The words of President Obama today, 45 years after “Bloody Sunday.”

In the midst of the stirring “Glory,” the musical centerpiece of the Oscar-nominated movie “Selma,” Chicago rapper Common delivers a terse summation of how words, melody and a protest merged during the civil-rights movement.

In the midst of the stirring “Glory,” the musical centerpiece of the Oscar-nominated movie “Selma,” Chicago rapper Common delivers a terse summation of how words, melody and a protest merged during the civil-rights movement.

It was one of the defining events of the civil rights movement, the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. But 45 years ago today it got off to a violent start on what became known as Bloody Sunday. Some who were there then returned to Selma today.

This time they crossed the bridge not to protest, but to remember.

Mr. JOHN LEWIS: It doesn't feel like it's been 45 years. It feels like it was just a few short years ago.

HOLT: Today, just as he did then, veteran Congressman John Lewis helped lead the march.

Mr. LEWIS: (From file footage) We intend to march to Montgomery to present our grievances to Governor George C. Wallace.

HOLT: On this day in 1965, hundreds of marchers set out for the state's capital, but were stopped almost before they began --

Unidentified Man: (From file footage) You are ordered to disperse.

HOLT: -- on orders from Alabama Governor George Wallace. Troopers and deputies fired tear gas and beat the marchers back with batons and electric cattle prods. More than 80 were injured. The march was organized by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr.: (From file footage) It would be a great thing to walk to Montgomery for freedom all the way from Selma, Alabama.

HOLT: The marchers were forced to retreat, but the violence had outraged the nation and the president. The National Guard and US Army were ordered in. And on March 25th, 1965, the marchers finally reached Montgomery.

Dr. KING Jr.: (From file footage) His truth is marching on!

HOLT: Five months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, outlawing discrimination at the polls. There to bear witness, Dr. King and John Lewis. The signing took place in the very same room where, 44 years later, President Obama took his first act as president. Today in a statement, the president said, “Let us honor the memory of all those who were shoved and beaten within an inch of their lives because they believed in the simple truth that every American, regardless of race, had the right to cast a vote, had the right to live free, had the right to reach for their dreams.” The words of President Obama today, 45 years after “Bloody Sunday.”

Choose Your Product

For NBC Learn in Learning
Management Systems please log in to your institution's Learning
Management System web site and click "Browse NBC Learn".
For further assistance, please contact our NBC Learn
Support Team and we'll be happy to assist you.

close

Choose Your Product

If you have received a new user registration code from your
institution, click your product below and use the "Register now" link
to sign up for a personal account.

Sign up for Newsletter

If you are trying to view the videos from inside a school or
university, your IT admin may need to enable streaming on your
network. Please see the Internet Filtering section of our Technical
Requirements page.

DVDs AND OTHER COPIES

Videos on this page are not available on DVD at this time due to
licensing restrictions on the footage.

DOWNLOADING VIDEOS

Subscribers to NBC Learn may download videos and play them back
without an internet connection. Please click
here to find out more about subscribing or to sign up for a FREE
trial (download not included in free trial).

The Science of the Olympic Winter Games videos are only
available to visitors inside the United States due to licensing
restrictions on the Olympics footage used in the videos.

FILTERING

If you are trying to view the videos from inside a school or
university, your IT admin may need to enable streaming on your
network. Please see the Internet Filtering section of our Technical
Requirements page.

DVDs AND OTHER COPIES

The Science of the Olympic Winter Games is not available on DVD
at this time due to licensing restrictions on on Olympic footage.

DOWNLOADING VIDEOS

Subscribers to NBC Learn may download videos and play them back
without an internet connection. Please click
here to find out more about subscribing or to sign up for a FREE
trial (download not included in free trial).